About Diamonds

Brilliance, scintillation and fire are three words commonly used to describe the beauty of diamonds. Irrespective of their beauty, when it comes to purchasing diamonds, many customers lack the fundamental knowledge required to make an informed purchase decision.

There are four factors known as the 4C’s which determine the quality and value of a diamond. Many people have heard of the 4 C’s of diamonds, but most don’t really understand what they mean – cut, carat, colour and clarity

The 4 C’s are the criteria jewellers use when grading diamonds, and they’re the ones you’ll need to understand when buying the right diamond for you.

Cut

Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four C’s, so it is important to understand how the quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A high-quality cut diamond will maximise the amount of light reflected back through the top of the diamond resulting in a stone with sparkle. The angles and finishes of a diamond are what determine the diamonds ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance.

An important note to consider when selecting the diamond is not to confuse diamond “cut” with “shape.” Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, for example, round, square or emerald.

Carat

Carat is the worldwide weight standard for diamonds and gemstones. The word “carat” comes from the “carob” seed, the original unit of measure for diamond traders. Today a carat is equal to 0.2 grams.  What is important to remember is that as diamonds increase in size, so too does their cost – the larger the diamond, the rarer the diamond.  As carat refers to weight and not the actual size, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different costs based on other factors, such as cut and colour, so ‘bigger’ doesn’t always mean ‘better’.

Colour

Colour refers to the purity and transparency of the stone. When jewellers speak of a diamond’s colour, they are usually referring to the presence or absence of colour in white diamonds. Colour is a result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time. A truly colourless diamond is extremely rare!

Most diamonds possess varying degrees of colour creating substantial differences in value. Diamond colours are graded on a scale of D through to Z, with D being colourless and Z light colouring. All D-Z diamonds are considered white, even though they contain varying degrees of colour. An ‘icy white’ diamond is typically D, E or F and while there are differences in colour between D, E, and F diamonds, they can be detected only by a gemologist in side by side comparisons, and rarely by the untrained eye.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the size, number and positioning of the natural imperfections inside the diamond. Diamonds are formed deep within the earth, under extreme heat and pressure, virtually all diamonds contain small imperfections, known as inclusions or blemishes if on the surface. Inclusions include flaws such as air bubbles, cracks, and non-diamond minerals found in the diamond. Blemishes include scratches, pits, and chips. Diamonds with no or few inclusions and blemishes are more highly valued than those with less clarity because they are rarer. Clarity refers to the degree to which these imperfections are present. Diamonds which contain a number of or significant inclusions or blemishes have less sparkle and brilliance as the path of light through the diamond is blocked. The five levels of clarity grading’s are as follows;

  1. Flawless (FL) and Internally Flawless (IF) – indicates that the diamonds has no visible inclusion under 10x magnification
  2. Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) – indicates that the diamond contains only minute inclusions that are difficult to locate under 10x magnification
  3. Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) – indicates that the diamond contains minute inclusions that are relatively difficult to locate under 10x magnification
  4. Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) – indicates that the diamond contains a noticeable inclusion under 10x magnification
  5. Included (I1 and I2) – indicates that the diamonds contains inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, which may also effect the brilliance and transparency

Confidence

Confidence is not one of the traditional 4 C’s, however, as buying a diamond is an important purchase in your life we feel that it is essential that you have the confidence that you are being guided by an experienced jeweller and the diamond you purchased is guaranteed for years to come.